


Some Days (Are Better Than Others)

by scatteringmyashes



Series: Modern Vox Machina [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Depression, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 02:51:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8780314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scatteringmyashes/pseuds/scatteringmyashes
Summary: Even when it's going well, sometimes he doesn't want to do anything. It's just easier to lie there in bed, not sleeping but not truly awake, waiting for the feeling to pass. 
Vax'ildan isn't doing so great. It's a good thing Vex'ahlia and Trinket are there for him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Second CR fic! It's really just a long drabble. Enjoy :) 
> 
> Find me on tumblr [here!](http://scatteringmyashes.tumblr.com/)

Vax’ildan opened his eyes and knew it would be a Bad Day. 

There were gentle beams of sunlight that filtered through his crappy blinds, the shutters letting a soft glow fill the room. His pillows were scattered across the bed and a few had fallen to the ground along with the top blanket, which he had kicked off in his sleep. Outside, a car honked and someone shouted something unintelligible. If he concentrated, Vax could just hear the sound of the coffee machine bubbling along as his sister made herself a cup of black-as-night coffee.

He needed to get up. Shifting so he could see the red glow of his alarm clock, the numbers informed him that it was eight thirty-three. He had class at eleven and it would be a thirty minute subway ride to get to campus. Another five minute walk from there to the right building, with a few minutes extra since the teacher was never on time. After that, Vax would have to dash to another building for biology. 

_I didn’t do the homework for that,_ some part of Vax’s mind reminded him. _You can still go and take notes,_ he told himself. _So? You aren’t going to major in biology. All you need is a C so you can never take it again._ With that kind of an argument, it was sounding like not a bad idea to just skip the entire day and sit in bed. _You’ve already missed two classes without excuses,_ the part of Vax’s brain that could still function spoke up.

_Fuck you,_ he replied. 

Something plastic, hopefully, dropped in the kitchen. Vax could hear his sister cursing. He rolled over in bed, pulling the sheets back over him. Today was a Bad Day and he was going to do what he did every other time this happened: sleep. 

Everything else took too much effort. Breathing required focus, reminding himself that he needed air to keep going, keep staying alive. That in of itself was a challenge. Vax was reminded, in moments like these, that no matter what he did things would be still be horrible. There would be bad days and Bad Days and nothing Vax tried, nothing anyone tried, could make things okay. 

He groaned as the door opened. Vex’ahlia, his twin in more ways than most people knew, entered. Trotting behind her came Trinket, their massive dog who Vax was one hundred percent convinced was part bear. Most days, Vax would throw a pillow at the intruders and come out of his room a little moody, but prepared to face the day. But when he didn’t so much as groan or flip his sister off, Vex knew something was wrong.

“Vax? Are you awake?” She asked, hesitant and unwilling to jump to conclusions. He heard her speak and knew that he was supposed to reply, but he didn’t feel like it. His limbs felt heavy and his mind was mush, like he was on the edge of sleep but couldn’t quite reach it. “Vax?” A pause. “Trinket, wake up your uncle.” 

Immediately the dog jumped up on the bed, landing directly on Vax’s legs. He let out a soft noise and forced his eyes open, reaching up and petting Trinket as the dog proceeded to lick Vax’s face, tail whipping through the air. Roughly two hundred pounds of fur and muscle lay on Vax’s hips and stomach and he wondered if this was how he’d die, trapped underneath his own ESA. He supposed there were worse ways to go. 

Of course, Trinket was too intelligent to actually crush his second favorite human and he backed off as Vex sat on the edge of the bed. She brushed some of Vax’s hair off his face and looked at her brother, concern swimming in her eyes. 

“Bad day?” She asked. Vax nodded.

“Bad day,” he replied. 

Vex sighed. They had talked about this many times before, but that didn’t mean she felt any more prepared about how to deal with Vax when he got like this. “Do you want me to bring you food?” She asked. Vax barely shrugged. Trinket seemed to sense that Vax needed comfort and decided the best way to do that was to lick him with much more enthusiasm. 

“Oof, Trinket, you’re crushing me,” Vax complained, though he just scratched Trinket behind the ears. Vex’ahlia watched, a weak smile on her face. The twins knew each other almost too well, but that didn’t mean they always knew what the other needed. “You should get ready for school. I’m not going today.” Vax could see the argument start to form in Vex’s eyes, the push to get him to go to class anyway, but she stopped herself.

“Okay. Is there anything I can do for you?” Vax thought about it, really considering her words. He knew, logically, that he should eat something and drink some water. He needed to take his meds and he probably should call out sick from work. 

_Oh, work._ Vax felt his chest squeeze. He was supposed to run the evening shift at the bookstore with Gilmore, but that would require getting up, getting dressed, and biking twenty minutes to the place. It wasn’t worth it… except Vax also needed the money. They were tight enough on money that missing too many days was risking their entire budget. 

Then again, depression was a bitch and Vax was having trouble making himself care, sister and Trinket aside. 

“Vax?” He heard Vex and felt her shake him. “Look at me please?” He didn’t realize that he had closed his eyes. Opening them, he saw Vex’s concerned expression and Trinket’s wet nose. “Is there anything I can do?” 

“Water and meds?” Vax managed to get himself to say. Vex nodded. 

“I’ll be right back.” She walked off, the bed squeaking as she moved. Trinket raised his head and seemed like he was going to follow, but at the last moment stayed. He buried his nose in the spot between Vax’s neck and shoulder, the cold wetness sending shivers up and down Vax’s spine. 

He snorted and playfully shoved the dog away. It would have taken a much stronger person than to really move Trinket, though, and the dog barely budged an inch. In the kitchen, Vax could heard his sister going through their junk and getting his pills. They were stupid and expensive but they also kept Vax at least a little functional, at least a little okay. Vex had a few of her own but most of them were conditional, not regular.

No, Vax had the distinction of being the fully medicated and expensive twin. He knew that Vex didn’t care, that she would have spent every single dime they made on him if he needed it, but that didn’t make Vax feel any better.

Vax’ildan sighed. Today was just a Bad Day and he wasn’t going to be able to change that.

He heard Vex coming back with a glass of water and a handful of pills. Maybe today was a Bad Day, but at least he had a good person in his life to make it a little less bad.


End file.
